So, I have kind of a secret project in progress. I told some of you about it already.

Therefore I feel I have to keep you up to date a little. Althought I can't tell you much.

I hoped to reveal the 'secret' in about two months. Because I can't do this by myself.

Turns out that it will take about ten months! Most of this time will include waiting, waiting and waiting.

I know I'm very vage. And how that must annoy you. This would annoy me too, so I feel you.:-P

But if I were to drop a hint, I know you would know immediatly what I'm up to, so I won't.

Oooohhh, 10 months!! That is July 2013! Pffff.

....Will be continued....

UPDATE !! : 19 December 2012

I come bearing exciting news about the project!

At least, that's what I think, but ofcourse, I know what´s coming. :-D

The dear woman who basically has to do all the work had a little gap in her agenda for me to fill on January 10th!!!

I was so excited! If I had time then, she asked me. Have time?? I'll MAKE time!!! whahaha

So that means I don't have to wait til July. I slept not so well last night because I'm kinda nervous. You'll understand why when I can unveil the mystery. :-)

I realise that this secret is not for everyone. There will be some people who won't like it at all. It's a question of personal taste. But then again, what isn't? :-)

January 10 will be a thursday so I'll tell you what te secret is on friday January 11 and then I will have plenty of time to write a piece about it the weekend after. With pictures, I promise!!! :-D

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Friday Januari 11 2013: Thank God it's friday!!!!!!

Right? Isn't that what you're thinking? whahahah

Hi Everyone!!

I can't tell how nerveus I am typing this. Just because I know not everyone will like it, I think.

Why do I think that?

Well, tattoos are not everyone's thing. Especially, Robert Addie tattoos.

Alright. Now you know. I GOT A ROBERT ADDIE PORTRAIT TATTOO!!!!!!!!

I have just posted a message on the Facebook fanpage too. Just to see if the reactions would be possitive. I had 5 positive reactions and then ofcourse the demand for a picture. I just posted a few seconds ago. Thank God... 2 likes. :-D

Ok. Deep breath!!! You want to see it too, don't you? Well, here it is!

Please keep in mind that my arm is still verrrry swollen (ok, I'll admit, even when it's in 'normal' state :-P ) It's still 'bleeding', well, leaking a bit of fluid. (iiieeewww gross!) whaha

My body is very busy healing because it feels very hot. :-D

Bianca, the tattoo artist warned me that he would look very old in the beginning because all the

black lines/ wrinkles would show very much. The dark parts will lighten and become more subtle when it has healed, like this example:

While I was at it, I just checked the Facebook page again. Great reactions! I'm lucky being a part of such a nice and supporting fanbase, even if tattoos in general are not everyone's cup of tea. :-D

And ofcourse I'm glad that they see the likeness. Most important!!!

So... Now you know the secret.

I'm ready!! Hit me with your best shot while I'll type my adventures in a short report and post it later on. :-D

The Tattoo Report. :-D

September 2012.

I don't know how I got the idea.

Maybe I had just taking a bath and looked at my previous made tattoos, maybe I was plunged in thoughs while I was at work.

It would have, most likely, just popped into my head because that happens a lot. :-D

All my tattoos are very meaningful to me.

They represent very important parts of my life or people in my life.

I have a small tattoo dedicated to my other hero, Paul de Leeuw, I talked about him before, I think.

It's an the first signature I got from him on a nice card when I was about 14 years old.

And then I knew, I want a Robert-tattoo too!!! He's become a very important part of my life.

Although I wish it could have been sooner.

And like Paul de Leeuw, he will stay of great importance for ever.

I can't explain, He was just very special. I mean, I like a lot of people and artists, like most people do.

But I've never become a real fan of someone except for Paul and now Robert.

And so the quest begins. What kind of tattoo?

It had to be special ofcourse.

I thought of Robert's signature. There are a few to find on the web.

Although I would have liked that, they just weren't mine. It wasn't given to me.

So I felt I had to think of something else.

I researched the net. I looked for symbols.

Like the Ankh, for eternal life or the eye of RA, Ra was the sun God of Egypt.

And RA are ofcourse the initials of our 'God.'

But there were a lot of people with a similair tattoo and I wanted something unique, like he was.

At one point I found the Egyptian God Hapy. Hapy was one of the four sons of Horus.

He has a baboonhead and protects the lungs.

The baboon is associated with "sunrise" because baboons at the time of the rising sun a shrill sound

through the jungle sound.

This event is symbolic of the resurrection of the soul in the other world.

I don't think I have to explain why I liked the symbolic so much. :-D But hey, he's a freaking baboon!

I couldn't do that to Robert! Whahaha

Then the thought that briefly crossed my mind before came back. A portrait.

What's more unique and special than Robert himself?

So I found Bianca from Bianca's Tattoo Solution.

She is on of the best portrait tattoo artists we have in the Netherlands.

In every forum about who can tattoo the best portrait, her name comes up.

When I looked at the pictures on her website I looked for celebrities because I know what they look

like. I had the a split screen. Tattoo pictures and original pictures I found on google.

I really studied them before I made up my mind to contact her to do my tattoo.

Eventhought it would be almost a 3 hour ride to her shop, I knew, I needed the best for this job!

And I knew that there would be a long waiting list.

After a few days I got a message back and she let me know that the list was about ten months!

This meant I was my turn would be somewhere in July probably.

I told them to put me on the list.

I had to send the picture I wanted to her so she could see if it was suitable.

I have a few favourites. I considered a Guy of Gisburne picture for example, and the close up from

General Russell in Bugs. But eventhough how much I loved them, they were characters.

No, It had to be just Robert, no character.

I looked at the sunny picture with the blue shirt and the 'wiki' photo by Stuart Allen.

I really wanted a color tattoo. Just because I like the happiness and brightness of it.

I though black and grey would be to depressive. Esspecially on a woman.

On the website from mr. Allen the 'wiki' picture ofcourse could also be found.

I read before that Robert didn't like to see himself on pictures. I liked the piece mr. Allen wrote about

the making of the pic. That Robert exacly knew what he wanted because he was the assistent of a

photographer once and that he knew what to do.

I thought: 'This picture must be the one!'

I contacted mr. Allen and asked if the picture existed in color too and if there were more because

there were several made and if I could buy them somehow.

And that I intended to use it for the tattoo.

Unfortunally, I never heard back from him..

On the website from Bianca ( http://www.tattoosolution.nl/ ) I looked a the pictures again.

I saw that there were black/grey portraits who still have a bit of color use in the eyes.

I really liked that! It made the portrait come to life.

So if I would do it in black and grey, I'd still have my color in it! Perfect!

I send 'Wiki-Robert' to Bianca along with the Bugs close up for the eye color and they were perfect.

She loved the Bugs pic very much from an artist point of view. A lot of beautiful shades in his face.

She could merge the two pictures and use the Bugs face but I didn't want that.

Admitted, I was tempted for a while but decided I wanted the photo that Robert would have liked and

honestly, I was afraid it would become a puzzle when she would merge the two pictures and I

didn't want to take that chance.

The days went by so slowly.

They would contact me if they had the new agenda for 2013 so they could plan new appointments.

Then, the week before my Christmas Holidays, the phone rang.

The Tattooshop. They had exciting news! They had someone who cancelled their appointment and

now had a gap for me to fill on the 10th of January!!

They told me that they figured that if they'd call me I would love to come because of my very happy,

friendly emails.

Whahah I didn't realise I came across that excited but they sure were right!

I would have cancelled whatever other plans I had on that day.

And yesterday, finally the day came.

I had my photo's and laptop, some food and drinks, money, ID, and God knows what other stuff ready

in a bags for a week.

If it were up to me I would started the car mondaynight and keep it idling, ready to go! Couldn't wait!

But unfortunally then I would be way to early and I had to go to work in the mean time. whahaha

Also I was nerveus. Couldn't think of anything else but that.:-D

Would it be good? Would it take up a lot of time like a tattoo I have on my back.

It really started to hurt after 1,5 hours. whahah

Thursdaymorning I had to go to work first. Than I had half an hour to freshen up, change clothes and

eat something.

I made a bag for our doggie too. I got my mother to watch him because we would be gone for hours.

I looked online how long it takes for a tattoo to heal completely. It said 6-8 weeks. So I wanted to wait until than.

I have more tattoos but never really paid attention to how long it took to heal. I just know you have to be extra careful the first two weeks and take care of it well. By that time the itch will be gone and the loose skin too.

And I know that the tattoo of my doggie took months to look like it does now, with the smooth lines and soft colors.

So I really have no idea if 'Robert' will change more too. :-) It's been about 4 weeks now.

Butttt, without further ado.. Here are the piccies!!!! :-D

Ow, how difficult it is to make the perfect picture! I still think it looks better in real life.

If you want to see for yourself you will have to come to the Hooded Man Convention in 2014. :-D